African Marriage Rites Essay

Marriage is a significant part of Judaism bringing together a woman and man under God’s reign. It is the mitzvah (122) “To marry a wife by means of ketubah and keddushin” (Deut 22:13), all Jewish adherents see marriage as a necessity in order to obey God and to experience the fullness of life. In Genesis God says: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” It is a link between individuals and the wider community as it recognises two individuals coming together, celebrated by the wider community. Also the marriage ceremony itself contains symbolic significance to Judaism, conveying Jewish beliefs through symbols, actions and words.

Marriage practices vary across cultures. Every culture has its own way of conducting marriage according to their traditions and customs. Most cultures share common customs and practices, while some cultures have unique practices. Marriage refers to a social union agreed upon by the couples to unit as spouses. The union of couples implies sexual relations, permanence in union, and procreation. This research paper focuses on comparing marriage practices in American and Indian culture. There is significant difference between the two cultures in marriage practices.

Marriage is a fundamental practice that influences village dynamics and political processes in many societies in past and present human cultures. Not only is marriage a process that supports human kinship systems, it allows for alliances and reciprocity systems between groups that create variation in human social organization (Walker et al. 2011). This paper explores the sources of variation in marriage and mating systems in two very different societies, the !Kung San and the Yanomamo, in terms of the vastly different environments each of them inhabit. The !Kung San, a traditional nomadic hunter-gatherer society, reside in the Dobe area on the edge of the Kalahari desert of Botswana (Shostak 1981, p.7). Due to the demanding environment of

If a marriage takes place in the Native American formal way, then they are seen to be celebrated with feasts and gatherings. One thing that is very symbolic in all tribes is that Water, which is for cleansing and purification of the body and soul. Before a wedding ceremony takes place the groom and bride are seen washing hands representing the washing away of past sins, evils, and memories of past love.

“A rite of passage is a public ceremony that marks, recognizes, celebrates or is believed to actually cause a change in a person and her or his status, usually brought about or related to increasing age” (Peoples, Bailey). Almost every culture has rituals that signal a change in life. Marriage is one of the most common rites of passage in any culture. Weddings and marriage ceremonies are clear transitions from adolescence to adulthood. “Some form of marriage is known to have existed in all human societies. Its traditional function in most of these societies has been to stabilize sexual relations and to unite a man and a woman in order to provide care for the young. In addition, marriage has linked and allowed for economic exchanges between different kin groups and has served as the primary coming of age ritual for women” (Nelson).

A rite of passage is something that happens when person goes from one stage of life to another. When a person goes through a rite of passage their social stats changes. The majority of the time it is used to describe a child going from a child to an adult, but it can also be for many other reasons. In Africa marriage is a very important rite of passage. There is an African Proverb that says “A man without a wife is like a vase without flowers”. In Africa they celebrate the first rain, the first harvest, and the birth of a child along with marriage. In this culture marriage symbolizes a new life. Marriage is the most celebrated rite of passage ever since the African culture has been around. Africans believe that it is not the human right

The Hindu marriage usually takes in the bride’s hometown or city. The venue is generally a town or community hall, or a hotel, depending on the budget of the bride’s family. There are often blessings in the temple before or after the service.

The simplest and most basic foundation of a sociological civilization or group begins at the core center of sociology; which is marriage and the inner-fabric creation of a family. It is said that matches are made in heaven, however finding and defining your “soul mate” differs from one social group to the next. The social institution of marriage changes and adapts consistently through time, religious practice, and national beliefs. Many people believe they lead happy and satisfying lives without a marital partner, as others highly value and desire a life-long marital partner as the pinnacle achievement of their life.

Marriage is a ritual that marks a change in status for a man and a woman and the acceptance by society of the new family that is formed (Rosman & Rubel, 1981). Marriage, like other customs, is governed by rules (Rosman & Rubel, 1981). Anthropology has represented marriage as the definitive ritual and universally translatable regulative ideal of human societies (BORNEMAN, 1996). Marriage also the act of joining two persons of opposite sex together to become as husband and wife. Many people in the society have different opinions or outright misconception of the meaning of marriage. While some people see it as a union between a man and woman, others take it to mean an agreement made between a man

The amount of dowry can be a very substantial amount, even in dollar terms, depending upon the financial status of the parties involved. Sometimes greedy mother-in-laws and husbands subject the poor brides to innumerable hardships for not meeting their expectations in respect of the dowry. Cases of bride burning are not unknown. Indian penal code prescribes severe punishment for such acts. But the cases take years and decades before the courts deliver justice.

Marriage is a significant social event in contemporary society. It is a means of building new bonds between two individuals and their subsequent families. The foundations of memorable weddings are built on those that bring often-distant family and friends together for the occasion, while dressed in their most sophisticated attire, surrounded by elegant flowers, a night of dancing, captured through the lens of an exceptional photographer. Although Hinduism and Islam are two extremely distinctive religions, their matrimonial customs do share some comparable elements, like most other cultural wedding ceremonies. In both religions, they are devotedly obedient concerning religious and cultural practices in their marital ceremonies.

     Before one starts to outline the traditional religion in Africa, one must first explain the way Africa is as a whole. Without the knowledge of the past combined with knowledge of culture, one would have a very vague, if any, understanding of traditional religion.

There are three main ethnic groups; the Hausa, Yoruba and the Igbo. Each have their own beliefs that they practice such as certain foods they eat, the kind of wedding they have and the religion rituals they do. Weddings are also a big part of the culture because you have three main types, known as the court wedding, white wedding and traditional wedding. Every girl no matter what country they’re in has excitement about their wedding day because it is a huge part of their life. The traditional wedding is the one that holds the most value because it is strictly within the ethnic group. This allows them to dress in bright colors, dance to their tribal music and enjoy the wedding customs of their culture. Naming ceremonies when a child is born into the Nigerian culture is very symbolic. Much of the family gathers to be a part of the significance of naming the child and all the sacraments it offers. From the time Nigerians are born they remain in the ethnic group with their family and they certain beliefs and traditions they must follow within their

In Igbo culture, the most important reason for marriage is procreation. Even in marriages where love is the main attraction that brings couples together, the desire to have children is always the ultimate goal. This is the reason why most marriages, including those that are